Female material from Hainan has been named as Gnetum formosum Markgraf (which is known with certainty only from Vietnam). However, it does not differ significantly from plants of G. parvifolium occurring elsewhere in China. Vietnamese material of G. formosum, including the type of that name, seems to differ from G. parvifolium in its larger leaves, longer male spikes, and even more slender fruits, ca. 3 × as long as wide.

The fibers from the bark are used in Guangdong to make ropes; the seeds yield edible oil and are eaten fried.